Halloween Costumes that are Office Appropriate and Easy To Do

Everyone…. Halloween is not a tradition I enjoy very much aside from the candy. I never liked going out in the cold even as a child to get some candy (my mom could just BUY the candy, why would I need to go beg for it?), and I much prefer Christmas above all others.

Every year I am all smug up in here like:

Ha ha..  I have no life and do not DO Halloween parties with my partner and therefore, DO NOT HAVE TO think of a costume. 

Except this year. I got a note, and everyone around me… has to think of and wear a costume. And I sort of think this is something that the Head Vice-President thinks is fun (HE BETTER DRESS UP TOO), and I don’t want to make it look like I’m blowing it off.

You know?…!?

So.. when I need to think of a Halloween costume that isn’t PHONING IT IN for work, I started to panic.

Like break out in sweat panic.

It has to be office appropriate. It has to be witty. It has to not be culturally inappropriate, borderline, racist, political, sexist.. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

It has to not be something I need to spend a lot of time doing or making (oh no way), and I need it to be warm-ish (read: covered up) because October is COLD.

Oh and I need to be able to sit and work in it. I don’t want freaky little things, props, anything that needs explaining either, and it has to cross cultural boundaries because some people may not even know what some things mean..

IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?

Apparently.

This, is what I have found. I hope it helps anyone out there panicking as well:

GRECIAN MUSE / GODDESS

Ann Lê nailed it here with this tutorial.

• Long white dress
• A bit of gold rope or a gold belt – curtain shops sell this stuff
• Long gold braid — easily found in any sewing shop
• Some gold leaves — again, any craft shop sells this
• Gladiator sandals — Or not! It is COLD.

See also: Medusa, which is similar but you just put fake snakes in your hair.

AUDREY HEPBURN – BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S

Marie McGrath shows an easy way to do this look.

• Black sheath dress
• Lots of faux pearls – Hello Forever 21 or H&M!
• A long cigarette holder — or a long gold stick works
• Long black opera length gloves
• Sunglasses
• Red lips
• Long hair to put up in a nice chignon/bun

WHERE’S WALDO – FEMALE

Everyone loves a good Waldo. Dress Corilynn has great ideas, and I liked this Waldo one.

• Red hat
• Red and white thick striped rugby shirt
• Large glasses if you don’t already own a pair
• Jeans
• Boots (any shoes really)

ROSIE THE RIVETER

I LOVE a good Rosie the Riveter, and this one by Dress Corilynn again, nails it.

• Chambray Shirt
• Red Bandanna
• Long hair to put up in a bun with some tendrils coming down
• Red lips

ICE CREAM CONE

So silly, it is perfectly easy and very cute.

• Tan pencil skirt
• White t-shirt with a scalloped bottom (or do it yourself with a nice polyester shirt that won’t fray at the edges)
• Colourful popsicle sticks stuck all over the front
• Red balloon half blown up
• Red cardstock to make the cherry stem out of, taped to the red balloon
• Then you put the red balloon’s tied up stem underneath a headband of your own hair colour. DONE.

GOOD LUCK! I’d love any suggestions you have as well.